The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-17
WORK OF THE RAILWAY LAW
It's enforcement Viii. Result in Destroy
ing Our Business with Canada.
Practiced by the Transcontinental Lines
Relief for Iowa Manufacturers

WASHINGTON, May l6-The Department Of
State has received aud transmitted to the Inter-
state-commerce Commission, for its information,
letter from United States Consul Twitchell. at
Kingston, Canada upon the subject of the in
terstale-commerce law and its effects upon our
trade with Canada. The Consul says
''Canada's high protective tariff. in which there
Is no prospect of reduction, has made me appre-
hensive from the first of the effect of the in
creased railroad rates on i'm ports from the United
States to this section of Canada. Since the 4th
or April these rates. as shown by freight olils
mere paid, have been increased from 70 to ioo
per cent, with change on Canadian roads.
After waiting thirty days for effects, have made
partial canvass of the importers of the city or
Kingston with the following results: Coal dealers
preparing to bring from Nova Scotia coal for
all purposes where the Nova Scotia coal can
be used; two factories which have always used
American opal have put IN their orders Tor Nova
Scotia coal. In hardware and pressed tinware
find orders have been changed from American
to Canadian houses on account OF freight. In
groceries there is the Same complaint; products
of countries outside of the United States they
now expect to get by way of British Columbia
and Halifax. The unpleasant feature in connec-
ton with my canvass has been the generaiiy-ex-
pressed desire to find how and where they may
make their purchases without coming in contact
with American railroads. With the general ma
tiona reaching-out for trade 1t seems to me un-
necessary to prophesy what will be the effect
upon the American manufacturer, wholesale
dealer and railroad by these general inquiries"
The Interstate commerce Commission has re-
ceived from the committee on railroads and
transportation of the Prescott, A. T., Board of
Trade, protest against 'the suspension of Sec
ton and against the railroads being allowed to
charge more to any part of the interior between
the Mississippi river. Missouri river and the
Pacific coast. than they do to the coast The
protest says: Eve here in the interior have
been numerically treated and disseminated
against for the last six years by the railroads;
for instance, have been charged, from st.
Louis to Prescott, from 500 to 81 800 per car,
while the kind of goods would go on TO
San Francisco for from 1925 to $3.50 per carr the
distance from St. Louis to San Francisco over
the Atchison. Topeka & Santa Fe railroad and
the Atlantic & Pacific railroad is about 2, 600
miles; from St. Louis 70 Prescott about ZOO
miles"
The commission has also received petition
from a committee of citizens of Newman, Ga,
protesting against the suspension of Section 4.
The petition says: 1--WE respectfully submit that
the enforcement of the fourth section means the
growth of the smaller towns, means more large
towns and fewer large cities; that the distrlou-
ton of industries and population among the
smaller towns which must follow the equaiza-
ton of freight tariffs will bring the consumer,
the manufactures and the producer in close prox-
unity and give to both the manufacturer and
the producer home market, and secure the
prosperity of all
Commissioners Schoonmaker and Walker not
having returned. public meeting of the com
mission will be held before to- morrow, and prob
ably not before Wednesday.